This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree and more particularly to a spontaneous limb-sport mutation of the apple variety commonly known as Jonagold, a non-patented variety.
The discovery was made by the inventor, Mr. Romain Surkijn, in 1983, in one of his cultivated apple orchards located at Betserbaan 40, B-3460, Halen, Belgium.
The mutation appeared as a spontaneous limb-sport in the upper portion of a two (2) year old Jonagold tree (FIG. 1). The inventor (discoverer) was attracted to this new Jonagold sport by the early, broadly striped, bright, red coloring of its fruit (See FIGS. 3 and 5). The winter following this discovery, the inventor collected grafting wood from the sport-limb to use for grafting of second (2nd) generation trees and for topworking. Second (2nd) generation trees were grafted in the spring of 1985. The new cultivar was named "Romagold" for all future reference use (FIG. 2).
Several (6) trees were also top worked in order to speed up the production of second (2nd) generation fruit and to see if this new discovery was stable in the next generation. These grafts produced second (2nd) generation fruit the following fall (1986) and in all succeeding years. Third (3rd) generation fruits have now also been produced and all second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation fruit show the same early unique broadly striped red fruit coloration identical to fruits grown on the original sport limb.
The new Romagold variety has been carefully compared to its parent, the Jonagold variety (unpatented), and to other red Jonagold sport varieties now being grown, including Jonagored (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,937), Daliguy (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,148), Jonica (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,146), Rubinstar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,590) and Jonagold De Coster (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,049).
Fruit skin color, shape, color intensity and other fruit characteristics of the new variety are compared in Table 1 to the varieties listed above, and are hereby further described:
1. The skin color of Romagold takes on a distinctive, and heavily striped pattern heavier and earlier than that of the parent tree, with the stripes being conspicuously a more prominent, darker red in appearance than those of the parent tree and the color sports within the market class. As the fruit advances to the stage of market ripeness, essentially the totality of the remaining unstriped surface of the fruit skin takes on a solid or block red blush, resulting in an essentially solid red apple which has subtle but definite deep red stripes over the attractive red ground color which, with the deep red stripes, covers 75% or more of the total fruit exterior. This results in a fruit which has an enhanced rich dark-red-over-red surface coloration which is frequently preferred by the fresh apple consumer.
2. The above mentioned broad red striped effect is particularly noticeable when Romagold fruit is displayed in packed cartons and or boxes. This color pattern differs distinctively from displays made up of blush (block) colored fruits. The value of this broad bright red striped characteristic is of considerable importance when marketing the fruit since striped red apple fruits are now preferred over blush (block) colored fruits in most world markets.
3. The value of this characteristic is also demonstrated in poor coloring years and in poor coloring apple growing districts. Poorly colored striped apples are always preferred over equally poorly colored solid-red (block) colored fruits.
When comparing Romagold to the other five patented red Jonagold varities the following fruit skin differences were noted:
1. Romagold's broadly striped bright red skin color was distinctive and markedly different from the more over-all solid block colored fruits of Jonagold De Coster, Jonagored and Rubinstar. The finished color of these three clones showed only very slight and/or no striping of fruit skin color at harvest.
2. The finished skin color of fruits of the Daliguy and Jonica varieties often showed a tomato red to dull brown red color characteristic at harvest. This differed distinctly from Romagold's very broad bright red chimera-like stripes.
3. Over-all fruit color percentages were difficult to measure because of the differing fruit coloring characteristics. See Table 1 for estimated percentages of overall red skin color at harvest of all Jonagold red sport varieties tested. However, the new Romagold variety exhibits many more chimera-like stripes than the other Jonagold red sport varieties, which tend to exhibit more of a blush (block) skin coloration.
______________________________________ ROMAGOLD COLOR COMPARISON TABLE #1 ______________________________________ JONAGOLD DE COSTER JONAGORED ROMAGOLD (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937) ______________________________________ Early color Begins to color Similar to Brownish development about two Standard brown-red of fruit weeks ahead of Jonagold with color through- Jonagold mid- some pink to out the growing dle of August in red additional season, darken- Halen, Belgium. color visible ing and redden- Begins to color from July ing in early with a heavy through early September. stripe pattern. September. Fruit finish Overall glossy Very bright Dark red to color - shade bright cherry wine red tone brown red; 821 red. Produces similar to Currant red to more red sur- Standard Jona- 822 Cardinal face than Jona- gold with no red (RHCCL) gored, colors brown tones. well, even on Finish tone is shaded sides of between 818 fruit. (39-12 Jasper red and Munsell Color 818 Orient red chart) (RHCCL) Finish fruit 75-100% bright Many fruits Many fruits color - % cherry red with with 85-95% with 85-95% heavy broad red color, some red color, some stripes. light stripes. apples blush finish, others some stripes. ______________________________________ RUBINSTAR DALIGUY JONICA (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146) ______________________________________ Early color Starts very Light green, Light green. development early at the end dark green. of fruit of August in a brownish way. Fruit finish Transforms Bright wine red Brown to color - shade from brown with white to pink-red. into dark red. yellow back- ground. Finish fruit Many fruits Many fruits Many fruit color - % with 90-100% with 30-40% colors with block red color. red color 70% in a pink stripes over a red. Others may white to yellow stay brownish background pink red. with more in- tensity than standard ______________________________________
Romagold has growth characteristics similar to its parent and to the other five sport clones compared to it. All exhibit an open standard-type (non-spur) growth characteristic. (See Table 2).
______________________________________ ROMAGOLD TREE COMPARISON TABLE #2 ______________________________________ JONAGOLD DE COSTER JONAGORED ROMAGOLD (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937) ______________________________________ Growth upright, upright rather vigouous, vigorous, vigorous, non-spur non-spur non-spur Bearing Habit regular annual regular annual regular annual bearer bearer bearer Trunk and medium stock, moderately moderately Branches medium thick thick, no spur thick growth Bark Color dark grey grey dark grey Vigor same as same as grows 5-10% standard standard more than standard Productivity 100% 100% 90% ______________________________________ RUBINSTAR DALIGUY JONICA (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146) ______________________________________ Growth less upright, upright, less less upright, much less vigorous, non- much less vigorous, non- spur vigorous, non- spur spur Bearing Habit regular annual tendency to regular annual bearer biannual bearer bearing Trunk and thin moderately thin Branches thick Bark Color very dark grey dark grey grey Vigor virus infected, same as VF grows 10% grows 10% less standard less than than standard standard Productivity 80% 90% 80% ______________________________________
Since Romagold possesses standard non-spur growth characteristics, a variety of tree training methods can be employed, such as:
1. Free standing central leader training with trees on either seedling or the more vigorous dwarfing rootstocks.
2. Central Axis training with either pole or wire support on dwarf type rootstocks.
3. Trellis-type training methods may be employed where more vigorous, non-spur type growth is necessary for proper training on dwarfing type rootstocks.
No noticeable differences have been observed in fruiting habits between Romagold and its parent Jonagold or the other five red Jonagold clones tested. Precocity and response to chemical thinning are similar.
No noticeable significant differences were recorded or observed in fruit size between all of the clones of red Jonagold. There are, however, a number of other differences between the fruit characteristics of the new Romagold variety and the red Jonagold clones, as shown and described in detail in Table 3.
______________________________________ ROMAGOLD FRUIT COMPARISON TABLE #3 ______________________________________ JONAGOLD DE COSTER JONAGORED ROMAGOLD (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937) ______________________________________ Shape large, uniform, not as large, very large, not round to more uniform in uniform size, slightly conical size, globose oblong conical conical Stem long long medium long Calyx partly open quite shallow shallow Cavity acute, medium broad, medium rather small, deep deep medium to shallow Skin smooth, glossy smooth smooth Color at almost 100% uniform wine dark red to Harvest bright red red background purple, little broad strips, green to yellow to no back- some chimeras when ripe, little ground striping, (see Figs. 3 & 4) striping, mostly solid block solid block color appear- color appear- ance ance Lenticels small, conspic- numerous numerous uous, few & scattered at base Calyx reflexed and long narrow long narrow Tube divergent, broad funnel form Core median small and small and round round Seeds .5 to 1 cm wide large wide large wide obtuse, dark brown Flesh creamy white white yellowish yellowish ______________________________________ RUBINSTAR DALIGUY JONICA (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146) ______________________________________ Shape smaller, more large, not uni- rather large, uniform in size, form in size, not uniform in flat globose globose conical size, flat globose Stem long medium long long Calyx quite shallow, shallow, some shallow, closed some half open half open Cavity broad, medium broad, medium small, medium deep deep to shallow Skin very smooth smooth very smooth Color at uniform dark intense tomato dull brown red Harvest red with very red with a to pink red with little green green to yellow green to yellow background, background background solid block color appear- ance Lenticels less less less Calyx long narrow not so long, short wide, not Tube narrow small and flat Core not small small and round not small and flat and flat Seeds very small and large wide very large, very thin very wide Flesh yellowish yellowish white yellowish ______________________________________
As is common to many super-red sports of red apple cultivars, leaves of Romagold are a slightly darker green color when compared to leaves of its parent variety. The varieties were compared under similar growth conditions, i.e., pruning, nitrogen, water, etc. The difference in green color shade is too slight to determine on the color chart being used.
Similarly, compared to the Jonagold variety, the pinkish red color of some of the leaf petioles and midribs of Romagold are slightly more pronounced and intense than on the leaves of its parent variety. This pinkish-red color often extends further down the midrib.
No bark or tree growth differences have been noted. Surface bloom is formed on the skin of the fruit, but does not differ from surface bloom on other red Jonagold clones tested. Winter hardiness appears to be similar to its parent and the other red Jonagold clones tested. Spring blossom hardiness also appears to be similar. As with Jonagold and the other cultivars tested, the skin of Romagold has shown no russet problems.
The new Romagold variety is free of all 10 known viruses and virus-like diseases, and is resistant to the common fungal and bacterial diseases of apples.